Curious about running in the mountains? Need a trail buddy? Seeking a bigger challenge? We've got you covered.

Come explore some of the finest trail running in the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. Learn about plant-based eating and develop a few tasty and nutritious meals to fuel your runs in the mountains. Unwind at Kananaskis HI Hostel surrounded by stunning scenery and new running friends.

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

RUNNING

Participants will arrive at the Kananaskis HI Hostel on Friday evening for a full orientation before relaxing and taking in the views. Saturday and Sunday will be spent outside on the trails. Saturday will be a full day (6-8 hours) and Sunday will end in the early afternoon to allow people to travel home. We will be running at a conservative pace and stopping regularly to eat, drink, take pictures, and enjoy the scenery.

The goal of our retreat is to allow runners to experience mountain running in a safe and positive environment. Be prepared to do hill climbing and technical descending. Guides Patrick Sperling and Tom Amaral will coach you and offer you techniques to improve your running, fitness, and diet. It is our intention to make your experience as enjoyable and rewarding as possible.

Our primary trail options are designed with short approaches on forested trail, an abrupt and sustained climb to the top of a ridge above tree-line, and a rolling traverse as we follow the ridge. Our intention is to get you out of the trees quickly and finish the climbing early so we can enjoy the alpine scenery and running as long as possible.

NOTE: Mountain weather can be unpredictable therefore you should expect any variety of conditions. Safety is our priority and will inform the guides' decisions about where to travel on a particular day.

ACCOMODATIONS

Camp participants will be staying at the Kananaskis HI Hostel located just west of Calgary nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountain foothills. Guests have the option of a bed in a shared dorm-room or a private room for up to two people. There are a limited number of private rooms so reserve early to ensure your spot.

FOOD

The Kananaskis HI Hostel has a full kitchen that will allow us to prepare and provide plant-based meals for the entire weekend. The meals include a Friday evening snack, Saturday breakfast, lunch (to-go) and dinner, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. The menu has been designed by Patrick Sperling who holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition.

While preparing and eating the meals you will have the opportunity to learn about optimum nutrition for sports performance and a healthy lifestyle.

When Tom says he's "going for a run", he usually means "bagging a peak or two".

Tom has lived in Banff since 2011 and in that time has developed into a trail runner focused on scrambly summits, multi-peak link-ups, and long backcountry traverses.

Tom is holder of the fastest known time on 3544m Mount Temple in Lake Louise and has participated in numerous ultramarathons in Canada and abroad. He recently completed the 101km/6100m vertical CCC (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix) in Europe in 2014.

Tom's backcountry and mountain sensibility comes from days as a hiker in the Yukon. Learning by trial and error (mostly error), he now considers himself extremely competent juggling the light and fast style of trail running with the environmental demands of mountaineering and backcountry travel.

Patrick found his love of running later in life. He started running in his mid-20s and soon realized that it could be an enjoyable way to explore new places. He now spends most of his time racing and running in the Canadian Rockies.

Patrick is a CSEP-Certified Personal Trainer who graduated from the Personal Fitness Trainer Program at NAIT in Edmonton, Alberta, where he gained experience in personal training, run coaching, and sports performance. During this time Patrick also ran for the NAIT Cross Country team at the collegiate level.

For the past number of years nutrition has been a great interest of his. After adopting a Vegan diet he saw drastic improvements in his health and performance and is passionate about being able to educate people on the benefits of eating a plant-based diet. Patrick holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell University and has helped people move to either a complete or partial whole-foods plant based diet.

Patrick's excitement for health, fitness and running is easy to see with how he lives his life and interacts with people. Mountain Stride Fitness is a culmination of his knowledge, interests, and love for running.

Contact us at mountainstridefitness@gmail.com to book this incredible weekend retreat.